Importance of trust (2)

Grounds for trust in God

Scripture emphasises the importance of putting one’s trust in God. This trust, which is nurtured by an understanding of God’s revealed truth, finds expression in a life lived according to his purpose. There are examples in Scripture of proper trust being placed in other people.

Trust in God’s power and strength

Ex 14:31; 2 Ti 1:12

2 Timothy 1:12 NASB95

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Exodus 14:31 NASB95

When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.

See also 2 Sa 22:1–3; Ps 9:9–10; Ps 115:9–11; Ps 144:1–2

Trust in God’s unfailing love

Psalm 13:5 NASB95

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

See also Ex 15:13; Ps 17:7; Ps 21:7; Ps 33:18; Ps 52:8; Ps 147:11

Trust in God’s salvation

Isaiah 12:2 NASB95

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.”

See also 1 Sa 17:37; Ps 22:4–5; Ps 40:2–3; Is 25:9

Trust nurtured by God’s revealed truth

Proverbs 22:19–21 NASB95

So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you?

See also Ps 18:30; Ps 119:42; Pr 30:5; Jn 12:36; Jn 14:1–3

John 12:36 NASB95

“While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

John 14:1–3 NASB95

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Expressions of trust in God

Praise and worship

Ps 4:5; Ps 28:7; Ps 64:10; Da 3:28

Daniel 3:28 NASB95

Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

Perseverance in faith

Is 7:4–7; Je 51:46–47; 2 Th 1:4; Heb 10:35–36; Heb 12:2–3; Jas 1:12; Jas 5:11

James 1:12 NASB95

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Holding on to God’s promise

1 Ki 8:56–57; Ps 130:5; Ac 26:7; Ro 4:20–21; Col 1:5

1 Kings 8:56–57 NASB95

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. “May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us,

Jesus Christ’s trust in the Father

Luke 23:46 NASB95

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

See also Ps 31:5; Ps 22:8; Mt 27:43; Heb 2:13; Is 8:17

Hebrews 2:13 NASB95

And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

King Hezekiah’s trust in God

2 Kings 18:5–7 NASB95

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

See also 2 Ki 18:30; 2 Ki 19:14–19; 2 Ch 32:20

Further examples of trust in God

Ru 2:12 Ruth; 1 Ch 5:20 the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh; Da 3:17 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; Da 6:23 Daniel; Zep 3:12 the meek and humble; Ac 14:23 members of the NT churches

Acts 14:23 NASB95

When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Zephaniah 3:12 NASB95

“But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.

Daniel 6:23 NASB95

Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 3:17 NASB95

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

1 Chronicles 5:20 NASB95

They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him.

Ruth 2:12 NASB95

“May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”

The results of trusting in God

Peace

Isaiah 26:3–4 NASB95

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. “Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

See also Ro 15:13

Romans 15:13 NASB95

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Security

Psalm 37:3 NASB95

Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

See also Ps 32:10; Ps 125:1; Pr 29:25; Is 28:16; Is 57:13

Protection from danger

Ps 25:1–3; Ps 31:14–15; Ps 32:7; Ps 33:18–22; Ps 91:1–4

Psalm 91:1–4 NASB95

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Freedom from fear

Psalm 27:1 NASB95

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

See also Ps 23:4; Ps 34:4; Ps 56:3–4; Ps 56:10–11; Ps 112:7

Prosperity

Pr 28:25 In the OT material prosperity is often seen as a sign of the spiritual wealth that belongs to those who trust God; Pr 16:20; Je 17:7–8

Strength

Is 30:15; Is 40:29–31

Physical life

Ps 25:20; Je 39:18; Je 49:11

Trust in people

God’s servants entrusted with responsibility

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 NASB95

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

See also Lk 16:1–2; 1 Th 2:4; 2 Ti 1:14

Trust at home and work

Pr 31:10–11 A good wife gives her husband confidence; Tt 2:10 Employees should be trustworthy.

Titus 2:10 NASB95

not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

Proverbs 31:10–11 NASB95

An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.

Examples of trusting others

Genesis 39:4 NASB95

So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.

See also Ge 41:39–40; Ex 19:9 Moses to be trusted by Israel; 1 Ch 9:22 the gatekeepers appointed by David and Samuel; Ne 2:6 Nehemiah is trusted by Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem; Da 5:29–6:2 Daniel given responsibility; Php 2:25 Paul’s confidence in Epaphroditus; 2 Ti 2:2 Timothy to find others to be entrusted to teach the gospel

2 Timothy 2:2 NASB95

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Philippians 2:25 NASB95

But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;

Daniel 5:29–6:2 NASB95

Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom. That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss.

Nehemiah 2:6 NASB95

Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.

1 Chronicles 9:22 NASB95

All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds were 212. These were enrolled by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office of trust.

Genesis 41:39–40 NASB95

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”

Continued trust in those who fail

Jon 3:1–2 God re-appoints Jonah despite earlier disobedience.

Jonah 3:1–2 NASB95

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.”

See also Jn 21:15 Jesus Christ reinstates Peter after his denial; Ac 15:37–39 Barnabas gives John Mark a second chance.

Acts 15:37–39 NASB95

Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

John 21:15 NASB95

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”